Don't let anyone ever tell you that where a band is from does not influence their sound. If Left Hand Black were from America, they would sound like the Misfits. There is a little more of an Elvis croon in the second song, but the first song is more metal than punk. Being hailed as horror punk, perhaps due to the subject matter of the lyrics, this music is upbeat and has more in common with pop punk than Samhain. If this band told me they were into Alkaline Trio, I would believe. The main problem with this album is that the vocals sit back in the guitar and do nto feel like they are belted out with enough conviction to scare anyone. Sure, they might be singing about cemeteries, but they are going to need to sell me harder on it.
"Damned Love" finds things falling into more of a uniform feel. By the time we get to 'Wolfs Eye," things are starting to bleed together, except for when they vary the syncopation, but the vocal approach is too similar for each song. It is a safe bet that if we are five songs in and they have not really deviated from the one thing they do, then it is unlikely they are going to. The drums speed up on "Breeding Ground For Lost Souls," but the only thing reproducing here is the same old same old. It's not until "A Doomed Romance on a Summer Night' that things shift into more of a 1950s pop ballad sound. The lack of vocal dynamics is hindering its potential.
There is more of a "Death Comes Ripping" feel to "In the Center of My Heart"; it makes me want to listen to the Misfits, not this album. The twin guitar attack of "All These Monsters" reminds me more of the first Iron Maiden album, until the chorus. The guitars allow for a little darker mood on "Six Feet Under Ground", I think a lower, more powerful bellow is more suited for this , and I think it would be possible to do that without sounding like Glen Danzig. They do switch it up again for "Each Dawn I Die" before speeding up into their uniform brand of punk. There is an awkward time change, but at least it happens.
This album needs more bass, driving the song "Divided By Pain," which makes it the best song so far, as it sets the standard for the rest of the band to follow. This is what they have needed all along. Something as subtle as bass can turn things around. The growl of the bass fights through the mix to save 'Why Do I Kill Everything I Love'. The last song, "Octopussy From Outer Space," is an obvious wink in the direction of the Misfits. I think I made my qualms with this album fairly clear, but I appreciate what they were doing since the Misfits are one of my favorite bands as well. I will give this album an 8.
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